To evaluate the effects of acupuncture on the immune system, the leukocyte, monocytes, lymphocyte and lymphocyte surface markers, CD2, CD4, CD8, CD11b, CD16, CD19 and CD56 in the peripheral blood of seventeen healthy volunteers were counted. The leukocyte above CD⁺ cell counts significantly increased after acupuncture. The results indicate that acupuncture may regulate the immune system and can increase the activity of cellular and humoral immunity and NK cell.
According to the percentage of lymphocytes or granulocytes, volunteers were divided into two types, those with more than 70% of granulocyte were recognized as G type and those with more than 40% of lymphocyte were divided into L type. Interestingly, before and after the treatment of acupuncture, the number of granulocytes and lymphocytes had a negative relationships. Namely we found an increase in the lymphocytes as well as a decrease in the granulocytes in the G type. On the other hand in the L type, we found an increase in the granulocytes and a decrease in the lymphocytes. Therefore we suggest that acupuncture can enhance the activity that maintains the balance of the immune function.

We have simultaneously proved that cell populations taking charge of immunity in human peripheral blood can be regulated quantitatively by acupuncture. Now we investigated the effect of acupuncture qualitatively on cytokine production by lymphocyte cells in human peripheral blood.
The number of IL-1β, IL-4 and IFN-γ containing cells, which are closely associated with macrophage, humoral immunity and cellular immunity respectively, were measured by FACScan. We found a significant increase in IFN-γ containing cells after acupuncture. According to this result together with previous results, the enhancement of CD4⁺ and CD56⁺ cell counts, the treatment of acupuncture can promote the activity of cellular immunity as well as NK cell.